Health and Safety System Improvement at Omnia Fertilizer: A Memorandum

This memorandum analyzes the current health and safety system at Omnia Fertilizer, a chemical manufacturing company in South Africa, highlighting issues such as material waste, spillage, and poor employee safety initiatives. The report identifies the need for improvements and proposes a transformation using Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). The memorandum describes the existing system, including its open nature and the roles of various departments and stakeholders. It identifies workplace hazards, particularly in chemical operations, and emphasizes the importance of proactive measures like contamination control and regular equipment maintenance. The student suggests using a system thinking approach, focusing on addressing issues at their root cause and monitoring the system regularly. The memorandum concludes by referencing the benefits of improved health and safety across financial impact, human development impact, and team performance.

Running head: MEMORANDUM
Memorandum
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MEMORANDUM
To
The supervisor
Omnia Fertilizer, South Africa,
This is to inform you that although the organization has a vast and diversified
operation, but existing system of manufacturing chemical products is questionable due to the
persistent wasted of chemical materials, spillage of raw materials and poor initiatives taken
for employee health and safety. Thus, I suggest the company to improve the existing health
and safety system. The existing system indicates the fact that organization is in the need of
operators who are needed to be involved in maintaining their own equipment. Manufacturing
department of the organization needs to pay more attention to preventative maintenance,
which could certainly lay a foundation for enhanced production.
This research report identifies the existing system of managing work-about including the
whole operation at Omnia Fertilizers and proposes the system of managing operation with
the help of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). The purpose of the memo is to propose a
suitable health and safety system of managing the whole operation and taking manufacturing
system of Omnia Fertilizers, into account, workplace and operational issues are identified to
be changed to new system. This memo starts with describing significant components of the
system existing system.
Current state of operation indicates the fact that organization is leaning towards long-
standing relationship with leading global and local chemical companies. The organization
continues to create value-add solutions to suppliers through effective marketing partnership
as well as distribution networks in markets. In addition to this, there are three major tasks that
are presently performed in the chemical operation of Omnia Fertilizer. Hence, the first task is
to identify some major processes as well as elements of the production process and to

2MEMORANDUM
understand the operational process which are kept safe within safe bounds under normal
conditions (Granata et al. 2014). This means this is rather a normal process instrumentation
as well as control measure that provide first and greatest degree of protection to plant
employees and other stakeholders involved in the process. Another major four areas in the
process is:
 a management subsystem which includes management personnel, process
specification, plant design, standard operating procedures as well as written
emergency plan.
 Personnel subsystem which assigns and defines roles, for both normal and emergency
operations, provide appropriate training. This usually includes the labour and
management safety committees
 A physical subsystem, which could include transportation system for materials,
ventilation, waste removal systems, containment systems, communication system
 An emergency subsystem with the inclusion of plant and community components
The existing system of health and safety is an open system because the system is linked to
other operational system of the organization. Health and Safety is partially handled and
monitored by Human Resource Department and partially by health and safety department
developed within the organization. However, it has been identified that there is a certain gap
of communication between these two departments. Consequently, health and safety facilities
and equipment are not in place. Factory operational area in the plant is wide but poor house-
keeping often causes hazards. Clutter blocking fire exits, aisles and emergency exits is a
serious housekeeping issue.
It has been identified that chemical operation is one such aspect of the company which is
developed with multiple form of system relationship. For example, when it comes to

3MEMORANDUM
chemical operation, the organization often uses an integrated system which is maintained by
the equipment associated with the system and personnel involved in the system.
Consequently, workplace hazards, failure in the system are usual concerns. Health and
Safety system is required to be treated at the highest priority. This open system is used to
keep an update of each activities performed alongside. In addition to this, it is worth
mentioning that even though the system run itself but operators are also involved in the
process to monitor the system in a time sequence, while other general labours carrying and
pouring materials in the large funnel. This is an open system because all activities or tasks are
interrelated. In addition to this, this system is also associated with external system because
end products are directly transferred to the external network.
It is certain that chemical operation is not immune to workplace hazards as, over
exposure to chemicals often leads to skin diseases. Thus, components like contamination
control, physical facilities, inspection and maintenance should be considered in the health and
safety planning. It has been identified that potentially reactive materials might have their
reactions catalysed by general materials which could easily enter systems when the seals are
opened. For example, rust or water which could enter the system during transformation from
one vessel to another and this happens either during hook up or disconnect. So, this is a
question of contamination. Another significant component in the system is physical facility.
Ambrus, et al. (2015) mentioned that much plant equipment is often considered ancillary to
the production process –such as a kind of a system which is required to be present, properly
inspected like emergency eye wash, fixed fire suppression equipment and portable fire-
fighting equipment.
Major stakeholders who are involved in the chemical operation at Omnia Fertilizer
includes management safety committee, personnel managing the inventories such as raw
materials of chemicals, individuals who are taking care of the end products, personnel who

4MEMORANDUM
are managing the instruments for manufacturing the chemical items. However, hence internal
stakeholders play a great role in managing the operation. Thus, managing the safety of those
internal stakeholders is major concern and this needs to be aligned with the existing system.
It has been identified that existing system of operating chemicals at the plant is quite
effective however, to keep it in place for the future, system needs to be changed slightly. This
means, organization should focus on transparency of the system which should be done
through an iceberg model.
This level of thinking will help to ensure that problems are addressed at the initial
stage and they are resolved with the highest attention (Monat and Gannon 2015). For
example, it is certain that when dealing with the instrument, dysfunction of system often
occurs; so, instead of scrutinizing the end result or end-products.
This level will help to address if the issues often take place for a number of time
repeatedly. This is highly important to ensure that system or instruments are frequently
monitored before engaging it to a new process. For example, when packaging of chemicals,
occurrence of spillage is certain; thereby, it is necessary to monitor the system on a frequent
basis instead of using it randomly.
This level of thinking helps to observe all sort of activities stating from physical
things, organizations (corporations, governments, and school), policies (like regulations and
terms of trading) (Maani 2013). So, whenever an issue appears, the organization needs to
think from structural level. This means all department associated with the system needs to be
monitored.

5MEMORANDUM
References
Ambrus, A., Lee, K.D., Campbell, A., Haley, D., Mount, B., Robles, A., Osborn, D., Wright,
S., Sharkasi, N., Hill, D. and McCulloch, D., 2015. System for recognizing an open or closed
hand. U.S. Patent 8,929,612.
Granata, G., Pagnanelli, F., Moscardini, E., Havlik, T. and Toro, L., 2014. Recycling of
photovoltaic panels by physical operations. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 123,
pp.239-248.
Iqbal, A.M., Khan, A.S., Bashir, F. and Senin, A.A., 2015. Evaluating national innovation
system of malaysia based on university-industry research collaboration: A system thinking
approach. Asian Social Science, 11(13), p.45.
Maani, K.E., 2013. Decision-making for climate change adaptation: a systems thinking
approach (Vol. 100, pp. 1-67). Gold Coast: National Climate Change Adaptation Research
Facility.
Monat, J.P. and Gannon, T.F., 2015. What is systems thinking? A review of selected
literature plus recommendations. American Journal of Systems Science, 4(1), pp.11-26.
Nguyen, N.C. and Bosch, O.J., 2013. A systems thinking approach to identify leverage points
for sustainability: a case study in the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam. Systems Research
and Behavioral Science, 30(2), pp.104-115.
Shepperd, P.W., Pankonen, M. and Gross, J.T., Solenis Technologies LP USA,
2014. Chemical additives and use thereof in stillage processing operations. U.S. Patent
8,841,469.

6MEMORANDUM
Sterzing, V., Udluft, S., Singh, J., Brummel, H.G. and Sancewich, G.E., Siemens AG,
2015. Method for computer-aided closed-loop and/or open-loop control of a technical
system. U.S. Patent 9,043,254.